NOTE: This How To white paper is just a guide; it does not replace a service manual,

general mechanical knowledge, specific motorcycle repair experience and good old
common sense. With the proper tools, some general experience and this guide most users
will be able to successfully change fork springs. As always if after reading though this
guide, you do not feel capable of performing this maintenance task, STOP, ask questions
on the forum, take pictures of your point of confusion and get your answers before you
start.

The Showa 49mm Conventional fork is used on the DRZ400, DRZ400S, DRZ400E. Changing the
springs on this fork is simple and quick. Follow along to see how.

NOTE: It is highly recommended the fork is serviced ie, disassembled, cleaned, inspected, fresh oil
installed every few years at least as normal maintenance and anytime the fork is apart for other
reasons, like a spring swap

. For this write up, we will deal with JUST a spring swap, no other service.

The Set Up.

While this task, with some additional effort, set up, and frustration, could be done with the fork
tube installed on the bike.. I recommend removing the forks for this job, as such, that is how it is
shown in this write up.

The exception to this recommendation is.. if using hand tools, prior to removing the fork tube
from the triple clamp, using a 17mm wrench or socket and ratchet, crack loose the fork cap..
Using the triple clamp to hold the tube is about the only way most will be able to do this job with
just hand tools.

TOOLS:

-17mm Open end wrench

-17mm Socket (and a ratchet, or air tool)

-Small flat blade screw driver

Procedure

Using a small flat tip screwdriver, back off the rebound adjuster until it lightly tops out.

we do this anytime we remove the fork cap, or center bolt, so that as those assembles spin, the
adjuster needle does not damage the soft aluminum tube the steel adjuster needle mates with.

Count the clicks as you back it off, you will need to re set the adjuster when your done.

Next, using a 17mm socket and an air tool loosen the fork cap from the outer fork tube.. (Note at
this point the cap will still be attached to and with the damper rod, and spring).

Sliding the outer tube down and away from the cap. If your not changing oil, then you must keep
the fork opening UP, or risk spilling oil. If you do spill, you will need to refill and set the oil level
(not covered here, so,,, don't spill...NOTE, this fork tube was drained of all oil for the sake of a
clean set of pictures.)

There is a jam nut on the Damper Rod that must be held with a 17mm open end wrench while
the built on 17mm nut of the fork cap is turned.

Once the cap is off, there will be a steel washer, between the cap and spring, just set it aside, it is
unidirectional, no top or bottom.

What you have left now is to just remove the spring.. pull it up and off the damper rod.. there are
no other parts to concern your self with if your JUST changing the spring and the fork remains
upright. Go slow with pulling the spring out of the tube, as oil will be dripping from it. You want
all of that oil to drip into the fork tube.
Set the old spring aside, get the new spring.. and slide is back in the tube over the damper rod.

You'll notice the damper rod has slide down in to the tube, and you will need to pull it back up to
re attach the fork cap.. How??? Happy you asked.

One way/// is to pull the rod up drop the spring in, and then stick your fingers though the spring
quickly to catch the rod as it starts to collapse back down,,, raise the spring and rod again, drop
the spring, grasp the damper rod,, repeat until you get the threaded part of the damper rod close
to the top of the spring, compress the spring a bit and hand thread the cap onto the damper rod.

Another way... ok never mind,, few will have a tool bought or home built to do this.. but if

you did buy or build it.. you slide the tool down into the spring, thread it a few threads onto the
damper rod, and pull the rod up. Hold the rod in place with a finger between the spring coils,
unthread the tool and thread the cap on.

At this point the job is exactly the opposite of disassembly.

Using a 17mm open end wrench hold the damper rod jam nut, tighten down the fork cap, slide
the other fork tube up, screw in the fork cap, tighten it down, and reset the rebound adjuster to
the same number of clicks as you backed it out.

Congratulations, you just changed a Showa 49mm conventional fork spring.

Repeat on the other fork leg, then go ride.